Buffering will appear once again in the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday night when he lines up in his fourth successive running in the Group 1 race after starting his Group 1 winning ways in the Manikato Stakes back in 2011.

Buffering won the Moir in 2012, was beaten by Vinery mare Samaready (More Than Ready) to get 2nd in 2013, and then won against the reigning Horse of the Year, Lankan Rupee, in a tight finish for last year’s Moir Stakes.

This time around Buffering resumes in the weight-for-age sprint after an enforced break because of a sesamoid injury, which caused him to miss the Brisbane winter carnival.

Trainer Robert Heathcote said the eight-year-old showed he was back to full fitness in a recent Doomben jumpout while the son of Mossman thrilled him with his work at Flemington on Saturday morning.

“His last jumpout at Doomben was emphatic, he won it by 10 (lengths) and we are as happy as we can be,” Heathcote said.

“He worked at Flemington on the Pro-Ride and he worked like a bomb. The horse just thrives down here (in Melbourne).”

Heathcote will follow his pattern of running Buffering in the Group I trio of the Moir Stakes, Manikato Stakes and VRC Sprint but the Brisbane horseman was simply thrilled to have his stable star back.

“Horses in the twilight of their career, it’s maybe not a bad thing to have an enforced layoff,” Heathcote said.

“Maybe it’s extended his career but at the moment I’m just grateful that he’s back sound and healthy and we can get on his wonderful ride that we’ve been on for so long.”

Heathcote noted the Moonee Valley Racing Club has taken the Moir Stakes back to its traditional distance of 1000m for Friday night, which is likely to attract speedsters such as the three-year-old pair Petits Filous and Fontiton, but backed his old mate’s competitive streak to ensure he would be hard to beat yet again.

“The 1000m is not ideal because he can be tardy away,” Heathcote said.

“There will be some quick horses there because at the end of the day, it’s a Group I and it’s there to be won.

“If my horse is sound and healthy, he’ll be competitive.”

Buffering (8g Mossman – Action Annie by Anabaa (USA)) has won over $4.8 million. He has been first home in a massive 16 races, 11 over 1200m, 1 at 1110m, 1 at 1100m, and 3 over the 2015 Moir distance – 1000m.

Mossman stands at Vinery for a fee of $27,500 (inc GST) and boasts 31 stakes winners and progeny earnings of over $46 million.